Santa Claus, Indiana bills itself as “America’s Christmas Hometown”. Although it might seem hard to believe, this is a genuine location that happens to breathe Christmas every day of the year. The local postmaster began promoting the town in the late 1920s, and soon, hundreds of children’s letters to Santa began to flood in from all over the country. A must-see attraction here is Santa’s Land of Lights.
When it comes to spectacular Christmas attractions, Greenville is hard to beat. Children throng the streets to see Santa’s sleigh (an old Ford Aerostar that’s been turned into a sleigh) as it rides down Main Street every year. The Christmas Essentials Market also allows you to do all of your holiday shopping in one location (and avoid the crowds at the mall!). The streets are lined with twinkling lights and there’s an outdoor small rink on Main Street, a competition called the “Festival of Trees,” tree lighting ceremonies, and more. It’s almost surreal!
Why not spend your Christmas season in historic Williamsburg, Virginia? Holiday festivities abound, such as the historical exploration of 17th and 18th century Christmas practices, which is known as Christmastide. You may also go to the lighting of the Yorktown tree or visit Busch Gardens, which hosts a number of old-fashioned Christmas customs, such as torchlight carolling, throughout the city. You can also go to the “North Pole” and meet Santa Claus while you’re there.
A Bavarian village in the Chattahoochee Valley may not be what you expect to find in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, but Helen has built itself as an Alpine community. Wreaths and Christmas trees adorned by local artists go up for sale during the Festival of Trees. Children’s activities including Kinderfest, the Christkindlmarkt, and tree lighting take place in the town center in December. Make sure to take part in the Christmas parade.
This quaint small historic town in Maryland has a tonne of Christmas spirit! You’ll fall in love with it right away. Berlin was named “America’s Coolest Small Town” by Budget Tourist in 2014 and has commendably preserved its historic architecture and Victorian beauty. One might get the impression that time has stood still while walking through Berlin Main Street. The town comes to life with festive lights and decorations during the Christmas season.
Visit the quaint Vermont village of Woodstock for a New England-style Christmas celebration. As though from a Christmas card, there’s a horse-and-buggy procession around a snow-covered town green. Carollers perform for the town’s residents, who then assemble to see the tree and Yule log be lit. Go for a stroll down the lovely Main Street, view the historic covered bridges on a wagon trip, or check out some exciting Victorian-era celebrations at the Billings Farm.
Going to Vail during the holidays is like having the white Christmas of your fantasies come true. Skiing on new snow. Spending time with friends and family around the fireplace. A fresh snow sleigh ride. And carolling, if the mood strikes. Promising powdery slopes, cobblestone alleys, and quaint hotels, there’s no place like Vail. At Christmastime, the town is decked up in lights, the mountains are beautiful, and the Kris Kringle Market is open for holiday shopping.
It’s like staring into a snow globe that came to life. Dahlonega is a jolly winter wonderland from the outside, with dazzling lights, horse-drawn carriages, and Santa Clauses wherever you look. Dahlonega begins its month-long holiday celebration the day after Thanksgiving, and it does it the only way it knows how… Loudly and proudly, whether it’s the tree lighting, vintage parade, or festive market on Candy Cane Lane. So it’s no surprise that Christmas in Homestead, a Hallmark Channel classic, was shot in Dahlonega a few years ago.
This year, you can celebrate Christmas in Bethlehem, a hamlet in Pennsylvania. It offers a “Christmas City Stroll” and horse-drawn carriage rides that are sure to put a smile on everyone’s face. The Historic Moravian District is decked up in twinkling white lights, and there are special activities to get you in the holiday spirit. There are festive cocktail crawls, Santa’s Haus visits, and even a window decoration contest! You can take a walking tour with historical costumed interpreters who will take you through centuries of Bethlehem’s history, from its creation in 1741 to the city’s quirky Christmas customs.
Even though New York City moves at a mile-a-minute speed throughout the year, things appear to slow down a little over the holidays, giving you a chance to get into the festive spirit. The highlight of the holiday season is Rockefeller Center’s 75-foot-tall Christmas tree, which is delightfully lit up with 30,000 lights. Walk along Fifth Avenue (ideally with a hot chocolate in hand) and take in the Macy’s window decorations to get a true feel for the New York City Christmas season.
This little Alaskan hamlet, named after the abode of Father Christmas, more than lives up to its moniker. In fact, they have an event called Christmas in Ice, where ice sculpting artists from all around the globe display their coolest work. Throughout the year the village of North Pole in central Alaska transforms into a Christmas wonderland. It’s complete with Santa Claus House and the World’s Smallest Santa, who is just under 50 feet tall.
This Bavarian community always has an Alpine vacation vibe about it, no matter what time of year it is. During the wintry month of December, however, you’ll be greeted by harp music, exuberant carolling, sledding around the town’s tree, and even the town’s own reindeer farm! The Leavenworth Village of Lights, which features a stunning display of 500,000 twinkling lights, is a popular destination for visitors from out of town.
Red Wing, Minnesota’s annual Holiday Stroll is a terrific way to get into the Christmas spirit. During the Holiday Stroll, Red Wing residents enjoy parades, cookie baking, a visit from Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus, as well as reindeer sleigh rides, and a lot of music. People also place bids on some of the most ornate Christmas wreaths ever fashioned at the Festival of Wreaths. Among other festivities are an ice-sculpting display and cookie baking lessons, as well as reindeer-pulled sleigh rides and a real Nativity scene.
Fredericksburg is a lovely little town that still pays homage to its original German settlers by hosting a Christkindlesmarkt in November, which kicks off the holiday season. The town then hosts a frenzy of Texas-sized events. Think: Christmas parades and tree lightings as well as Nutcracker performances and craft shows. It’s the ideal holiday destination, whether you want to go ice skating, see the town’s 30-foot Christmas tree, or shop along Main Street dressed up for the season.
Since 1927, the town of Natchitoches, named after a Native American tribe, has hosted one of the country’s oldest community-based Christmas festivals. Each year, this sleepy Louisiana village turns into a magical Christmas wonderland with the onset of the Festival of Lights. Over 100 light displays and 300,000 individual lights adorn the Cane River’s banks in celebration of the festival and the town’s Creole roots. During the Christmas season, you may also go on carriage rides, take house tours, and participate in parades.
During the Christmas season, Park City comes alive with a festive spirit! There’s nothing like shopping on Park City’s Main Street or just strolling around the beautifully lighted and adorned downtown area after November 30th. Take a trip on the Heber Valley Railroad’s North Pole Express for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. In all, the voyage lasts 90 minutes, and all passengers get hot chocolate and cookies as well as a present from Santa.
For a traditional Christmas experience, visit Durango, a winter wonderland in Colorado. There’s a plethora of places to visit during the festive season, from quaint mountain towns to merry bazaars. It’s famous for being host to the Polar Express. It’s a Cascade Canyon adventure that takes passengers on a 26-mile ride through the San Juan National Forest and the Animas River in heated coaches. After your trek through the snow-covered mountains, do Christmas shopping on Main Ave.
Branson takes great pride in being known as “America’s Christmas Tree City”. Its Christmas celebration,An Old Time Christmas, is complete with live Christmas entertainment, 1,000 beautifully adorned trees, an eight-story Christmas tree, and the Holly Jolly Christmas Light Parade. The Ozark Mountain Christmas festival, a month-long spectacle with holiday music, light displays, and lots of parades, takes place every year in this Missouri community.
There are other Bavarian-style towns to visit over the Christmas season, however, this one California town brims with Danish festive cheer instead. Danes developed the town in the early 1900s, and they left behind some beautiful Danish-style buildings. A Nordic winter solstice event with dancers, music and a procession takes place every year in Solvang. Julefest, a month-long Christmas celebration in this hamlet in the heart of California’s wine country, takes place every December.
The modern-day Pueblo Native American communal adobe village of Taos is the perfect place to visit over the holidays if you are interested in both indigenous history and Christmas cheer. You can find tree-lighting ceremonies, music, and artisan fairs, but on December 24, everything changes. Luminarias and rifle salutes are given from the settlement’s roofs, and a parade includes large bonfires to honor Taos Pueblo’s Native American heritage (small paper lanterns).
